Animal Dojo
by Kota Magic
Summary: A fox turns the Kenshin-gumi into animals! How will they change back?
1. New Student

**Animal Dojo**

**Part 1**

"Come back here, you little pest!" yelled Kaoru as she chased her saucy pupil around the dojo. "Yahiko! I'm warning you!" 

"Try to catch me, raccoon girl!" Yahiko paused to give his persuer 'rasberries' before taking off again. 

Kenshin laughed at the mayhem going on. It was a typical day at the Kamiya Dojo, with Kenshin cleaning, Kaoru and Yahiko chasing one another about, Sanosuke and Megumi arguing, and a race to every meal. It was just the sort of atmosphere the former Battosai had come to know and love. 

"AYE! Megumi-san!" cried Sanosuke as the woman doctor bandaged up another one of his wounds. The bad-man of the group had gotten himself into yet another fist-fight, and it was up to Megumi to patch him up afterwards. Megumi sometimes wondered if it would be better just to let him heal on his own, considering that the longer it took for him to recover, the longer it would be before he got into another fight. In the end, though, she always wound up taking care of the baka. 

A knock at the gate caught Kenshin and Kaoru's attention. The young woman abandoned her pursuit of Yahiko to answer it. Outside was a young woman who was a little younger than Kaoru herself. She smiled warmly and bowed. 

"Is this the Kamiya Dojo?" she asked. 

"Yes, it is." Kaoru reciprocated. "Can I help you?" 

"I was wondering how much the lessons cost," the woman replied. "and if there is room and board. I'm afraid I don't live around here." 

"That's all right." Kaoru smiled. "Lessons are ten yen apiece, and room and board is fifteen. If you can't pay in money, you can pay in other ways." 

"Thank you." the girl smiled. "I'd be more than happy to help out around the dojo." 

"Come on." Kaoru gestured for the girl to follow her. "I'll show you around. Oh, and you can have Yahiko's room during your stay." 

"MY ROOM!?" Yahiko fumed. "Where am I going to sleep?" 

"In Sanosuke's room, where else?" Kaoru grinned. 

"But he snores!" the boy complained. "I'll never be able to get any sleep!" 

"You could always sleep outside, if you'd like!" teased Kaoru. 

The argument would have escalated into chaos if Kenshin had not stepped in at that moment. 

"You can stay in my room, Yahiko." the former rurouni said. "Get your things and I'll help you." 

"Arigatou, Kenshin!" Yahiko hugged the poor swordsman so tight that an 'ORO' was squeezed out.

The newcomer just laughed at the scene. She followed Kaoru into the dojo while everyone else continued with their daily activities. 

"By the way," said Kaoru. "What is your name?" 

"Kitsui." she answered. "Kitsui Namida." 

"That's an unusual name." Kaoru blinked. "Where does your family live?" 

"A-A town some distance from here." Kitsui stuttered. 

As the two girls made their way into the dojo, something caught Kenshin's eye, and he freed himself from Yahiko's overly-thankful grasp to make sure he wasn't seeing things. There was something suspicious about Kitsui's shadow and the way she walked that just made him uneasy. 

"What's wrong, Kenshin?" Yahiko asked. 

Kenshin turned back to the boy, recalling what had been going on. Had he stared off again? 

"It's nothing." Kenshin answered. "Go on. Go finish washing the porch and I'll make some rice cakes once I finish with the laundry." 

Once Yahiko had gone, Kenshin's gaze returned to the doorway of the dojo. If his intuition was correct, he would have to watch this new girl very, very carefully. 

*********************************************

Late that night, when the rest of the household was asleep, Kenshin carefully tapped on the shogi to Kaoru's room. She answered it groggily. 

"Eh?" she yawned. "What is it, Kenshin?" 

"Shh," he whispered. "I need to talk to you about something in private. May I come in, Kaoru-dono?" 

Kaour rubbed her eyes sleepily, but allowed Kenshin to come in. They sat down side by side on the futon. 

"What's the problem, Kenshin?" she asked. "It better be important to be waking me up at this hour." 

"I wouldn't wake you up for something foolish now, would I?" he said, setting the sakabatou aside. "Tell me, have you noticed anything… unusual about Kitsui-chan?" 

"Unusual?" Kaoru tried to think despite her drowsiness. "Well, not really. I've never heard a name like her's before, and she didn't tell me exactly where she's from. Does that count?" 

"Anything else?" he pressed. 

"No, not at all." she yawned again. "Why do you ask?" 

"When she was talking to you at the door, she was shorter than you, that she was." he explained. "But I noticed as she was walking with you that both of you were the same height." 

"Eh?" 

"Her shadow didn't seem quite right either." 

"Kenshin, what are you saying?" 

"I don't think Kitsui-chan is everything that she appears to be, that she doesn't. You and her seem to be getting along just fine, but sessha would like you to be cautious around her, especially when the two of you are alone." 

Kaoru gave him a light, sleepy tap to the side of the head. She hated it when he used sessha for himself and wished he would stop using the damned word. 

"Kenshin, you're being silly! I should lock you in the storehouse for this!" 

"Kaoru-dono, I'm serious. Please be careful until we figure out just who she really is." 

"Fine, fine," Kaoru yawned again. "I promise I'll be careful, Kenshin. You're rarely wrong when it comes to things like this, so I'll keep an eye out. Can I go back to sleep now?" 

"Of course." Kenshin picked up the sakabatou and left the room. "Oyasumi, Kaoru-dono." 

"Oyasumi…" Kaoru mumbled as she crawled back into bed and fell asleep. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sorry that was so short! I'll write as fast as I can while balancing homework. Hope you guys/gals like this!


	2. Kitsui the Kitsune

**Animal Dojo**

**Part 2**

The next day was Kitsui's first kendo lesson with Kaoru. Kenshin took the job of scrubbing the floor so that he could keep an eye on the two women. Everything seemed to be going well, and Kaoru's new pupil was catching on well. From outside came the usual sounds of the dojo's residents. 

"Hey! Chicken-head!" Yahiko hollered. "Megumi-san says to come in and get your bandages changed!" 

"Tell that fox I said thanks, but noooooo thanks!" Sanosuke replied. "I'm not like you that needs to be bandaged up everytime I get a scratch!" 

"Sano!" yelled Megumi from somewhere in the house. "Get in here!" 

Kitsui could only laugh at the familiar squabbling of the household. 

"Are any of you related?" she asked Kaoru. "It seems like one big family here!" 

"Tell me about it!" Kaoru wiped the sweat off her forehead. "But no, we're all just close friends, and we have Kenshin to thank for bringing us all together." 

"Kenshin?" 

"Yes. Without him, none of us would probably be alive right now." 

"Oh! How's that?" 

"I met Kenshin when an ex-student from this dojo tried to destroy it and kill me. He saved my life twice in the first two days I knew him." 

"Fascinating! What about the others?" 

"Arrogant little Yahiko was under the control of the yakuza until Kenshin and I saved him." 

"What about that tall guy with 'bad' on his jacket?" 

"Sanosuke is a survivor of the Sekihoutai, who hated the Imperialists Kenshin once worked for. Kenshin has a way with words and people, and eventually, Sano joined our growing little group." 

"I can see why the boy calls him Chicken-head!" Kitsui laughed. "Please, go on." 

"Finally, there's Megumi. She wanted to become a doctor, but a sleazy businessman forced her to make opium instead. She would've killed herself if Kenshin hadn't stopped her." 

"I see how Kenshin keeps you all glued together. Where did he come from?" 

At this, Kaoru could only respond with silence. She was uneasy about revealing Kenshin's true identity for fear that it would bring more trouble to the dojo. Kenshin had already told her to be weary of Kitsui, and so she was extra reluctant to say anything. 

"Kenshin…" she paused to find her words. "Kenshin… doesn't talk much about his past… so I'm not really sure where he's from." 

"You know," Kitsui put her hand to her chin and stared at the ceiling. "Kenshin's appearance is like a description I once heard, but I don't know about whom. Ah, well, he probably not the same person anyway. Shall we continue?" 

"Later." Kaoru picked up her towel and wiped her sweat away. "For now, let's just clean up and relax for awhile. You can use the ofuro first." 

"Oh no! I couldn't think of it!" Kitsui stared at her. "You're the teacher, so I must insist you go first." 

"All right, if you insist." Kaoru put away her bokken and headed for the ofuro. 

Kitsui lingered a while longer in the training hall. She took a few more practice swipes with her bokken before storing it away with Kaoru's. Without turning around, she smirked. 

"Come on out, Battosai." she said calmly. "I know you're there." 

Kenshin leapt down from his hiding spot on the rooftop. His sakabatou was in its sheathe at his waist. He glared at Kitsui, knowing something was up. 

"Who are you?" he said in a low voice. 

"I'm here to pay a debt owed to you by my family." she turned around to face him. 

"What sort of debt?" 

"You saved my ancestor's life during your Battosai days." She approached Kenshin slowly, careful not to trigger his defenses into effect. "I'm here to give you what my family owes you?" 

"And what would that be?" Kenshin didn't move a muscle, trying to pick out what this girl was up to. As she came closer, he eyed her shadow and understood who she was. "You're a shape-shifter, aren't you?" 

"Very clever, Kenshin." she stopped. "Would you like to see what I really am?" 

Kenshin remained silent, his muscles tensed and ready to grab the reverse-blade sword at a second's notice. Kitsui grinned and crossed her arms across her face and chest. A wind filled the room, and when it came to a stop, Kitsui stood as what her shadow betrayed. Two black, pointed ears twitched atop her head and a fiery-orange tail, tipped in white, fell to the floor as gracefully as a feather. Her feet were small, black, and canid. Kitsui was actually a fox. 

"That would explain your change in height when you walk." Kenshin uttered nonchalantly. "What did I do to earn your respect?" 

"My family lived in Kyoto around the time that you were Battosai the Mankiller." Kitsui explained. "A farmer was going to kill all of us for trespassing on his property. On the day he was going to exterminate us, he died by your hand." 

"I had no idea I had helped in that manner." the swordsman continued. "In fact, you owe me nothing. It was pure coincidence." 

"Perhaps so," the fox twitched her tail. "But if it had not been for you, I would not be alive now. There must be something you desire. Power, perhaps? Political? Physical? There is nothing sessha kitsune cannot grant you." 

"I have no need of such things." Kenshin shook his head. "A life of peace to make up for my Battosai years is my only wish." 

"Surely you have earned many enemies during mankiller days." the fox stepped forward. "Adversaries who seek to tear you from the peace and the friends you hold so dear. A word, and they will be dead." 

Kenshin again declined the offer.

"I have shed too much blood in my lifetime," he said. "I'll have no more on my hands." 

"Mayhap your lady friend has caught your attention." Kitsui grinned warmly. "Yes, I have seen how you gaze at her, as a creature eyes its mate." 

"Kaoru-dono and myself are close friends." Kenshin spoke up. "I would do nothing to mar that relationship." 

Just then, Sanosuke and Yahiko crashed into the room, fighting over a piece of fish. When they looked up to apologize, they stared in shocked silence. 

"Oi! Is that-" Sanosuke uttered. 

"-a fox??" Yahiko finished Sano's sentence. 

Having been spotted, Kitsui realized she would have to get out of there. She raced at the two on the floor and leapt over them to freedom. She paused, looking back straight at Kenshin, a foxy, smug grin flowing over her face. 

"I _will_ pay my debt to you, Battosai!" she said. "That you can be sure of!" 

With that, she leapt into the woods and completely out of sight. 

Sano and Yahiko got themselves up off the floor and brushed the dirt off of their clothes. They stared out into the bushes, then at Kenshin. 

"Was that what I think it was?" Sanosuke glared at the swordsman. "And if so, what kind of debt do YOU owe it?" 

"Oro?" poor Kenshin sweatdropped. 

"Since when do you make deals with foxes?" Yahiko feigned anger, but excitement was apparent in his expressions. 

"No, no, let me explain!" Kenshin tried to calm them down, but it was obvious it wasn't working. 

Eventually, Kenshin explained the whole scenario with Kitsui to them. They listened, with storms of emotions brewing in their faces. 

"BAKA!" Sanosuke slammed his fist into the floor. "You didn't ask for money? What's wrong with you?!" 

"You should've asked her to turn Kaoru into the raccoon she is!" the young boy laughed. "That would've been funny!" 

"But I don't need anything." Kenshin explained. "I have everything I want right here in this dojo." 

"Think of US, Kenshin!!!" Sanosuke continued to bug out. "If not for yourself, then how about for the rest of us?" 

"No." Kenshin shook his head. "As I've said before, I have no connection to the name Battosai. Those days are over." 

"So you asked for nothing???!" Yahiko twitched an eyelid. 

"Nothing but peace for myself and the rest of you." Kenshin smiled. "I just want to be happy here in the dojo with all of you." 

The thug and the samurai boy looked at Kenshin as if he had grown another head, then looked at one another and shook their heads in disbelief. 

"Does Kaoru-chan know about this?" Sano asked. 

"She knows that I have been suspicious of Kitsui," the swordsman replied. "but she doesn't know what Kitsui really is." 

"Well, who's gonna tell her?" 

"I will, though she probably won't believe me." 

"Trust us," said Yahiko. "We'll help you convince her. After all, we saw her too! Hey! Speaking of raccoon-girl, where is she?" 

"She just went to the ofuro. We'll tell her and Megumi later at supper." 

"Well, at least we've still got one fox in the house!" Sano laughed. 

"Yeah! Yours!" the samurai boy chipped in, and received several unpleasant bumps to the head. Kenshin shook his head with a tired 'Oro.' 

~~~~~~~~~

Are you all enjoying this? I hope so! It has been quite awhile since I watched Rurouni Kenshin, so please excuse any ooc-ness you find. Any criticism will be greatly appreciated!!!


	3. Transformation

**Animal Dojo**

**Part 3**

Needless to say, Kaoru was very doubtful of what Kenshin and the others were telling her. Shapeshifters and animal spirits were supposed to be nothing more than folk tales from long ago, used to explain the strange things that occurred in everyday life. Never would she have thought such things to be true, even if Kenshin were telling it to her in his most sincere tone. 

"What do you think she is going to do, Kenshin?" Kaoru asked. 

"I'll tell you what she's gonna do!" blurted Sanosuke. "She's gonna do something nice and then we'll have to pay for it somehow!" 

"But Kenshin already did something for her." Yahiko blinked. "Why would she want more?" 

"'Cause she's a fox!" Sano slapped his hand on the floor. "That's the way foxes are! Foxes, badgers, raccoons, you name it!" 

"Is someone referring to me?" Megumi stepped into the room. She had just come from helping a patient when she heard Sanosuke talking about the animal she was commonly referred to as. 

"Not this time." replied Yahiko. "It turns out that Kaoru's newest pupil is a real fox, and I don't mean that she's just a pretty lady! She really is a fox!" 

"Are you serious?" the woman doctor sat down with the rest of them. "What does a fox have to do with any of us?" 

Kenshin carefully explained about the encounter with Kitsui in the dojo and what they were discussing as to what to do about her. 

"I think you should pick something for her to give you, Kenshin." Megumi said. "She sounds pretty determined to pay you back, and if you don't choose something, she will." 

"Like what?" Yahiko perked up curiously. 

"Anything," Megumi replied. "Particularly something we wouldn't be expecting." 

"Somehow, that's not very reassuring." muttered Sanosuke. 

"I will not change my answer if she comes back." Kenshin said softly. "She owes me nothing as far as I'm concerned. I am not Battosai anymore, that I am not." 

"Kenshin…" Kaoru breathed. 

"If we're fortunate, maybe she won't come back." said Megumi. 

Everyone nodded agreeably. 

*************************************** 

Several days had passed since the incident with Kitsui had occurred, and by that time, everyone simply assumed that the fox would not be returning anytime soon, if at all. No one had any idea just how wrong that assumption would prove to be. 

It was another normal day at the dojo. The sun shone brilliantly in the sky, as though nothing could possibly go wrong. The humidity promised some thundershowers for later, but other than that, no sign of trouble was apparent for the day. 

Kaoru was in the dojo, practicing with her bokken. After having chased Yahiko around unsuccessfully, she resigned herself to training so as to put her mind at ease. She was facing away from the door, and so when she heard the shogi open and shut behind her, she thought nothing of it. 

"Kenshin?" she asked without turning around. 

"My apologies for disappointing you." came a familiar female voice. 

Kaoru whipped around in time to see Kitsui, standing there in her true form. The fox grinned mischievously as she sent a magic spell in Kaoru's direction. 

Sanosuke and Yahiko had been outside when they heard Kaoru scream, and they came running in her direction as fast as they could. Before they could reach the door, Kitsui suddenly appeared in front of them. 

"The fox!" Yahiko cried. 

Sanosuke lunged at her with everything he had, but she easily dodged every blow. She leapt to the roof of the dojo and unleashed her magic on the boys. When the smoke cleared, Kitsui was gone, and where Sanosuke and Yahiko had been standing were a rooster and a wolf. The two animals looked at one another and leapt back away from each other in surprise. 

"Y-You really are a rooster!" the wolf glared at the other animal in disbelief. 

"And you- you're really a wolf!" the rooster replied. 

"Wait a second," said the wolf. "You got turned into a rooster like we all call you sometimes…" 

"But we never call you a wolf and that's what she turned you into!" the rooster clucked irritatedly. 

"If we're like this…" the wolf began. 

"What about Kaoru!!" the rooster flapped wildly. 

The two animals ran at the door to the dojo and pawed it open. Kaoru was nowhere to be found. The only thing in the middle of the dojo floor was a timid raccoon, which turned around cautiously at their entrance. 

"Is that-" the wolf began. 

"-Kaoru?" the rooster approached the raccoon carefully. 

"Yes, it's me…" the raccoon piped. "What happened to you two?" 

"We heard you scream," said the rooster. "And when we came to investigate, Kitsui showed up and turned us into this!" 

The wolf, who was obviously Yahiko, grinned at the sight of Kaoru's new form. As much as he tried to hold in his laughter, it came bursting out and he rolled all over the floor, unable to contain himself. 

"Wow!" said Yahiko. "I never thought I'd see the day when Kaoru the ugly raccoon _really_ became a raccoon!" 

"Shut up, Yahiko!" Kaoru tried to pick up her bokken to whack Yahiko over the head with it several times, but it was just impossible with her short arms and clumsy paws. Her failed efforts only made the wolf howl with laughter even harder. 

They didn't laugh for much longer though. In no time, they heard Megumi cry out and knew who the next victim was going to be. 

"We have to help Kenshin!" Kaoru dashed to the door to slide it open, but she could do little more than inch it open with all of her strength. Yahiko managed to open the shogi much more successfully, and the three animals raced to warn Kenshin that he was likely next. On the way there, a fox joined them, also heading for the swordsman's quarters. 

"Kitsui!?" Yahiko blocked the fox's path and growled. 

"No!" came Megumi's voice. "It's me! Megumi!" 

"Why am I not surprised?" Sano attempted to grin, much to his dismay. 

"Let's hurry!" Megumi ran ahead of them and pawed at Kenshin's door.

The sound of a fight came from within Kenshin's room. They heard him cry out before slumping to the floor, with pawed footsteps dashing away. When they finally opened the door, everything seemed normal, but those first glances were very deceiving. 

"Kenshin?" Kaoru stepped in cautiously. Kenshin was on one knee on the floor, and he clung to the sakabatou tightly, using it for support. His back was turned toward them, but he knew that they were there. 

"Are you alright, Kenshin?" Sanosuke flapped. 

"Leave me,…" Kenshin replied. "You should not see this…, that you shouldn't." 

"Kenshin!" Kaoru scurried over to him, but he turned away, his eyes closed the entire time. "Kitsui came and turned us all into animals, and left you alone. What happened to you?" 

Kenshin refused to answer or even look at her or the others. It was then that Kaoru noticed a few things different about the swordsman's appearance. His hair was unbound, and his ears were now pointed. She looked at the hands, clasping the sakabatou tightly, and saw that they had long sharp claws. 

"Go, Kaoru-dono," Kenshin repeated. "This is not something I want you to see." 

"Kenshin!" Kaoru put her paws up on Kenshin's knee and pushed gently. "We've all been changed! Will you look at me?!" 

Without opening his eyes, Kenshin gently picked up the raccoon and set her with the others. He crouched back down, but this time, he was facing them. 

"If you insist, Kaoru-dono," said Kenshin. "I will, but you will not like what you will see, that you will not." 

"Kenshin!" barked Yahiko. "You're the one who came out of this better than we did! What's the big deal?" 

Kenshin didn't answer them. His long, fire-red hair shadowed his face, and he cracked his eyes open. 

"Kenshin?" asked Sanosuke. 

After a perfectly silent pause, Kenshin finally opened his eyes and looked straight at the others. Kaoru gasped and the others stepped back, fear and shock washing over their faces. Kenshin's eyes had lost their violet hue, having been replaced by the Battosai amber color. At their reaction, he turned away sharply. 

"I told you it wasn't something you should see, that I did!" Kenshin clenched the sakabatou tighter, venting his frustration on it. 

"She turned us into animals and you into a demon." said Megumi. "Why?" 

"If this is her way of thanking Kenshin," Sano squawked. "I'd hate to see what she'd do if he had pissed her off!" 

"We can't live like this, that we can't." Kenshin uttered through clenched teeth. "We must find Kitsui and make her change us back!" 

"How?" asked Yahiko. "How will we find her?" 

Kenshin surveyed the group and came up with a quick plan. 

"In your current forms, Yahiko, Kaoru-dono, and Megumi-san have a good sense of smell. Working together, we can try tracking her down." 

"What about me?" Sano clucked angrily at being left out. 

"Ah," Kenshin scratched his head, but regretted doing so after he lightly cut himself with his claws. "Sanosuke… it may be safer for you just to stay here, that it may. Kitsui is a fox after all, and foxes do eat birds, that they do." 

At this, Megumi nudged the back of her paw against Sanosuke, grinning when he looked up at her timidly. Taking a look at the others, all of them could easily make a meal out of him! How did the former Zanza, strongest member of the Kamiya Dojo group, wind up as a weakling rooster?! 

"Where should we start looking?" asked Yahiko. 

"Out there." Kenshin pointed towards the bushes around the dojo through the open door. "But… uh…well…" 

"What is it, Kenshin?" Kaoru twitched her nose at him. 

"It's going to look rather strange for a group of animals to be poking around the bushes, that it is." he replied. "And besides, who will be here to watch the dojo?" 

"Kenshin's right." said Megumi. "We'll need to tell someone normal about this. We should probably tell Dr. Gensai." 

"Ok, but who's going to tell him?" Sanosuke ruffled his feathers. "If we just go up to him like this, he's sure to panic!" 

"I am the one who looks the most normal, that I am." Kenshin stood up. "When he sits on the porch, I'll talk through the shogi and tell him everything." 

"Is that wise?" Kaoru blinked. 

"It's all we can do for now, that it is." replied Kenshin. "Once Gensai-sensei understands, he can help us." 

~~~~~

Like it? Hate it? Please let me know!! I'm doing the best I can considering this is my first Kenshin fic and that I haven't watched the anime for quite a while. Please excuse any ooc-ness, please?


	4. Searching

**Animal Dojo**

**Part 4**

Kenshin sat inside behind the porch door, waiting patiently for Dr. Gensai, Suzume, or Ayame to come by. The others were sitting around, trying to figure out how to get Kitsui to change them back. They only paused when they noticed Kenshin twitch his ears and peek out the door. 

"Who is it?" Kaoru asked. 

"It's Dr. Gensai, that it is." Kenshin replied. "And Suzume and Ayame are with him." 

"What do we do?" Yahiko stood up quickly. 

"Keep quiet, that's what!" Sanosuke tapped the wolf with his feathers. He quickly regretted doing so when he remembered just how vulnerable he was. 

The kindly old doctor approached the steps casually. The little girls ran off to play elsewhere. 

"Gensai-sensei," Kenshin called through the shogi door. 

"Kenshin-san," the doctor reached to slide the door open, but Kenshin held it shut with the sheathed sakabatou. 

"Wait!" the swordsman warned. "I need to talk to you first, that I do." 

"Whatever is the matter?" Dr. Gensai said, perplexed. 

Kenshin explained the situation as best he could through the rice paper door of the dojo. The poor doctor couldn't believe what he was hearing and laughed. 

"This sounds like a rather amusing joke, Kenshin-san" the doctor chuckled. "Well, if you and the others want to show your costumes, let me get Suzume and Ayame first." 

"No!" cried Kaoru. "Dr. Gensai, what Kenshin said is true! A fox really did turn us into animals!" 

"She turned me into a rooster!" Sanosuke added. 

"And I think I've got fleas!" Yahiko scratched his ear repeatedly as best he could. "Megumi-san is probably next." 

"Not from way over here I'm not!" Megumi replied from the other side of the room replied. 

"Gensai-sensei," Kenshin pleaded. "Please, you have to believe us, that you do!" 

"Oh, very well." the doctor agreed. "Let me have a look at you all then." 

"Please, don't be afraid…" Kaoru uttered. 

The good doctor slid the shogi door aside and looked into the room. For several minutes, he was completely speechless. A fox, a wolf, a rooster and a raccoon were staring back at him, looking rather worried. Dr. Gensai dropped to his knees, utterly dumbfounded. The poor doctor could not believe what he was seeing. 

"Are you all right, Gensai-sensei?" said the raccoon. 

Weakly, Dr. Gensai stepped into the dojo, approaching the raccoon that sounded like Kaoru Kamiya. When none of the animals seemed to flinch away, he reached out and carefully picked the raccoon up. 

"Kaoru?" he asked in a disbelieving whisper. 

"Hai, Dr. Gensai." the tanuki replied. 

He set her down gently, afraid of dropping her with the intense trembling in his hands. The doctor looked as though he was going to faint, but Kenshin caught him from behind. 

"W--," the frightened old man stuttered. "What has happened here??!" 

"Like we said, Gensai-san." Sanosuke stepped forward. "That fox Kitsui did this to us." 

Dr. Gensai looked back at Kenshin, who still stood behind him, but had his eyes shut. He could easily see the wild hair and pointed ears, but not the eyes that had scared everyone else half to death. 

"K-Kaoru-chan is a raccoon…" Dr. Gensai shook his head. "Sanosuke is…a rooster…" He looked around the room at the other animals and pointed to each one as he continued. "Megumi-san… and… and… Yahiko-chan?" 

"Oi!" the wolf scratched his ears again. "Why does everyone call me 'little?'" 

"You… you weren't joking!" the doctor panicked. 

"It's alright, Gensai-sensei." Kenshin sat down beside him, still keeping his eyes closed. "Aside from a few… changes, all of us are safe, that we are. But we are going to need your help, sensei." 

"As long as we are like this," Megumi approached, but still kept her distance from the infested Yahiko. "we cannot run the dojo. We need your help to close and watch it until we figure a way to get back to normal." 

"I-I see…" Dr. Gensai stuttered. He was slowly coming down from the initial shock, but it was still apparent that it was still very much there. 

********************* 

Passerby on the streets were utterly puzzled by the unusual closing of the normally active Kamiya Dojo. Some suspected that there was trouble again while others shrugged their shoulders and speculated that it was probably because the company there had gone on vacation or the like. 

With the help of Dr. Gensai, the dojo was closed down, allowing the transformed bunch to search the premises for the fox, Kitsui. They were all seated in the dojo, planning how to go about their search.

"It would be wise to split up into groups and check out the area, that it would." said Kenshin. 

"How will we do that?" asked Sanosuke. 

"With our keener senses, we should pair off and look everywhere for any sign of Kitsui, that we should." Kenshin replied. "This is how I think it should go: Megumi and Sano will check out the shed and roof. Yahiko, you and Dr. Gensai look around dojo and front yard. That leaves me and Kaoru-dono to check out the remainder of the grounds." 

"Oi! Kenshin!" Sano squawked angrily. "Why do I get stuck with the fox? And how the hell are we going to check the roof like this??" 

"Watch it, rooster!" Megumi growled. 

"Oro?" Kenshin sweatdropped. 

"Sano, you're a bird, and if you need help, Megumi will be glad to help you get up to the roof." 

Megumi glared at Sano, licking her lips hungrily. Sanosuke gulped. 

"But Kenshin!" Sano protested. "SHE'S GONNA EAT ME!" 

"Now, now," Kenshin gestured for rooster to calm down. "I'm sure Megumi-san is just joking, ne?" 

Megumi just responded by laughing warmly and gently backhanding Sano. The feathered former Sekihoutai member clucked irritatedly, but otherwise kept quiet. He wasn't about to take any chances that the fox beside him was going to change her mind, no matter how long they had been friends. 

They split up into their groups and searched the premises. Strangely enough, even with their heightened senses, none of them noticed the shadowy figure that crept over the roof of the dojo and slipped inside. 

Megumi and Sanosuke were snooping around the shed. They poked through the various things Kaoru often kept there, searching for any sign of the troublesome fox girl. There were some shelves that neither could reach, and having already checked most of the structure already, it was time to look higher. 

"How are we going to check up there?" Sanosuke clucked. "Even if I stood on your head, I still couldn't reach those top shelves." 

"Then I'll just have to toss you up there somehow." Megumi replied. 

"You are NOT throwing me!" the rooster squawked.

"It's the only way to get up there!" Megumi barked. "Look, we have got to work together on this, so give me a hand and find something I can stand on!" 

Glancing about the room, they spotted a footstool in the corner. Megumi got an idea and dragged Sano by the tail feathers over to the stool. 

"Aye!! Fox!" he flapped wildly. "What do you think you're doing??" 

"Just trust me, rooster-head," she grinned. "Or should I say, just plain rooster?" 

"Shaddap!" Sano loosed himself from her grasp. "What are you doing?" 

"I need you to help me drag this stool over to the other side of the room." she nudged the stool with her head. "Would you please give me a hand, or… uh… I mean, a wing?" 

Despite the fact that the joke had been aimed at his current form, Sano joined her in warm laughter. He managed to nudge the stool slightly, which kept it from turning while Megumi was pushing it. Together, they successfully got it to the corner. 

********************* 

In the dojo, Kitsui secretly made an appearance. Glancing around, she crouched low to the floor and began carving something into it with her claws. 

"I will give Kenshin that which is due to him." she grinned smugly. "My methods may not be what a human would call logical, but the outcome is the goal, not the means to it." 

Approaching footsteps alerted the fox to Yahiko and Dr. Gensai's presence. Fortunately, she slipped away, unnoticed by anyone. As she watched the dojo from a distance, Kitsui snickered softly before disappearing once again into the bushes. 

Accompanied by the lupine Yahiko, Dr. Gensai slid the shogi door to the dojo aside, only to see Yahiko growl uneasily. 

"What is it?" the doctor asked. 

"Kitsui was here!" Yahiko looked wildly around the room. "And just a few minutes ago too! I can smell it!" 

"What's that in the middle of the floor?" Dr. Gensai pointed to the markings Kitsui had engraved into the floorboards. 

They approached the marks wearily, cautious of any would-be traps. But none were to be had, and they inspected the writing more carefully. 

"I can't read all of it." the wolf glanced up at the elderly man. "Can you read it, Dr. Gensai?" 

The old man adjusted his glasses and squinted at the carvings in the dojo floor. After a few moments, he sighed wearily. 

"This is very curious." Dr. Gensai shook his head. 

"What does it say?" Yahiko asked. 

"It says that 'when the illusions stop, the truth will come to be.'" the doctor read. 

"What is that supposed to mean?" the wolf blinked confusedly.

"I wonder if it's the cure to the fox magic." said Dr. Gensai.

"How do you figure?" 

"Look at it like this: to look human, the fox had to use an illusion to fool us. An illusion is meant to keep something a secret." 

"So what you're saying is that when secrets come out, there's no need for an illusion and it goes away?" 

"Exactly," said Dr. Gensai. "But before we jump to any hasty conclusions, we should consult the others first." 

"Right." barked Yahiko. "And what if Kitsui left any other little hints around the dojo? We have to make sure we've checked everywhere, so let's get going!" 

Dr. Gensai laughed as he and Yahiko continued to look the dojo over. 

******************* 

Out in the courtyard, Kenshin and Kaoru were putting their heightened senses to good work in the bushes. As she looked around, Kaoru noticed that Kenshin was keeping his eyes closed. 

"Kenshin," she paused. "What are you doing? How are you going to see with your eyes closed?" 

"I can almost see with my nose, Kaoru-dono." the swordsman sniffed carefully around the bushes. "I don't need to see with my eyes to find what we're looking for, that I don't." 

"Kenshin…" the raccoon gazed at him sadly. "Is this about your eyes?" 

Kenshin paused, but didn't say anything. He cracked his eyes open just enough to see, but turned his gaze away from Kaoru. The raccoon could see that she was dead-on with her guess and proceeded to scold him. 

"Baka!" she yelled, eliciting a frightened 'ORO' from him. "It doesn't matter what your eyes are like right now! What matters is that we find that fox and get back to normal!" 

Kenshin looked at her silently, his Battosai-like eyes suggesting anger, but his face betraying worry. Kaoru found herself at a loss for words, somewhat startled that he had opened his eyes. Her reaction made him turn away again and sigh. 

"You have already seen Battosai, Kaoru-dono, that you have." he said softly and seriously. "I did not want you see it because I knew it would frighten you, but that day that you saw it I was too furious to care, that I was. I don't want to frighten you again, so I don't want you or the others to see it." 

"But Kenshin…" Kaoru pleaded. "You are Kenshin now, not Battosai. I'm not afraid, and I'm sure the others know that too." 

"Your eyes told me otherwise a moment ago, that they did." The swordsman said plainly. "You are afraid that Battosai will come out and you will not be able to tell because of the way I am right now, that you are." 

"Baka!" Kaoru growled. "You think I can't tell?" 

Kenshin glanced at her through cracked-open eyelids and sighed. 

"Gomen nasai, Kaoru-dono." He said. "We should keep looking for Kitsui, that we should." 

With that said, Kenshin returned to searching the bushes meticulously, this time with his eyes only partially open. Kaoru looked as though she wanted to say something, but instead resumed helping Kenshin look for the fox. 

~~~~~~~~

Sorry this took so long to write! I'm coming up with the story as I go along and juggling finals as well. As usual, Like it? Hate it? Tell me, please! I wanna know if this is going well or flopping miserably!!!


	5. Ayame-chan & Suzume-chan

**Animal Dojo**

**Part 5**

Ayame and Suzume were playing around the shed when they suddenly caught the sound of wings beating furiously. Being the curious little girls that they were, they decided to investigate. Suzume carefully peeked around the corner and into the shed with her little sister in tow. They gasped at the sight inside. 

Megumi was standing up on the footstool on her hind legs with her front paws up against the wall. Sanosuke was clumsily flapping his up onto her head in hopes of getting closer to the shelf above them. The two animals were so busy trying search the shelf that they failed to notice the two little girls that were spying on them. 

"Oi, Sano!" Megumi complained as the rooster on her head repeatedly stepped on her snout. "Just jump up there already! I can't take much more of this!" 

"Quiet, fox!" Sanosuke clucked. "This isn't as easy as it looks!" 

Megumi attempted to lift him up a little higher in hopes that he would get up there and stop complaining. Both were beyond startled belief when two pairs of small hands reached out and picked them up. 

"WAAAAAAAHHHHHHGGGG!!!!!!" Sanosuke flapped his wings so furiously that it almost appeared to be snowing in the small room. 

"Look what I got, Suzume-oneechan!" Ayame giggled as she held up a very panicked rooster by the legs. 

"Yeah!" her sister answered, cuddling the fox closer in her arms. "I got this one!" 

"Hey!" the younger girl got a better grip on Sanosuke. "Let's go show Ken-ni what we found!" 

"Good idea!" Suzume nodded as she and her sister ran out the door with their captives. 

"Suzume-chan!" Megumi barked. "Put us down! It's me! Megumi! And the rooster is Sanosuke!" 

"Put us down this instant!" Sanosuke squawked loudly. 

"Wow! These animals can talk!" Ayame waddled along. 

"Just like in Grandpa's stories!" the other young girl added. 

The noise from the two little girls and their new 'pets' could be heard all over the dojo grounds. Sensing trouble, Kenshin scooped up Kaoru and leapt out of sight. A moment or so later, they saw Ayame and Suzume laughing as they dragged a fox and a rooster along with them. 

"Oh no…" sighed Kenshin. "Looks like the little ones found Sano and Megumi-san, that it does." 

"Kenshin," Kaoru tugged at his sleeve. "What are we going to do about them? What if Kitsui does something to them too?" 

"I don't think the fox is going to touch them, that I don't." said Kenshin. "If Kitsui was going to do something to Ayame-chan or Suzume-chan, she would have done it by now, that she would." 

"But Kenshin," Kaoru continued. "They weren't here when Kitsui transformed us. What if she comes back to change them too?" 

"Then we'll have to confront her, that we must" he replied. "Enough is enough with these tricks." 

Much to the relief of Kenshin and Kaoru, Dr. Gensai came out of the dojo and approached his granddaughters. They stopped and lifted Sano and Megumi up as high as they possibly could. 

"Look, Grandpa!" the girls giggled. "We found them in the shed!" 

"Ayame-chan! Suzume-chan!" Dr. Gensai carefully took the squeezed-out animals from the little girls' grasp. "You must not do that! Some animals will bite you if you pick them up!" 

"They didn't bite us." Suzume explained. 

"But they like to talk to us!" Ayame grinned broadly. 

At this, the poor doctor was at a loss for words. What could he tell his grandchildren and that they wouldn't say anything to anyone outside of the dojo. Well, he figured, since I'm going to be here until this whole mess is over with, my granddaughters will stay here as well. 

"Children,…" Dr. Gensai began. "There's something you should know." 

"Is it a story?" asked Suzume. 

"About animals?" added Ayame. 

"Well, uh…" the doctor scratched his head. "…sort of…" 

The fox and the rooster could only glance at one another nervously and gulp. How was the doctor going to explain this to the children? 

"Can we go find Ken-ni first?" Suzume asked. "Maybe he wants to hear the story too!" 

"Er… Kenshin already knows this story, children." Dr. Gensai gestured for them to calm down. "Now, let me start from the beginning." 

Hiding in the doorway of the dojo was Yahiko. He had nearly given himself away with laughter at Sano and Megumi's predicament with the little girls. He sniffed at the air and knew that Kenshin and Kaoru were also hiding and watching the whole scene nearby. 

"You girls know how foxes like to play tricks, right?" began Dr. Gensai. 

The children nodded. 

"Well, a fox came by here a while ago and played some mean tricks on Kenshin and the others." he continued. 

"What did it do?" asked Suzume. 

"Was it that one?" Ayame pointed to Megumi. 

"No, no." the doctor laughed as he gently pulled the fox onto his lap. "You'll know who this is soon enough. As I was saying, the fox played some very mean tricks on Ken-san, Kaoru-chan, Sano-san, Megumi-san, and Yahiko-chan. Do you know what she did?" 

Ayame and Suzume both shook their heads. From his hiding spot in the dojo, Yahiko grumbled silently about how he hated being referred to as 'little.' 

"The fox turned everyone into animals!" Dr. Gensai tried his hardest to keep a straight, but pleasant face on. 

The little girls laughed and giggled merrily. Ayame was pointing to the fox on Grandpa's lap. Sano tried hiding behind the old man to keep out of the little girls' sight, but his bright tail feathers were always in view. 

"Who's that on your lap then, Grandpa?" the younger girl smiled. 

"It's me, Megumi." the fox answered. 

Suzume came forward and pet her on the head gently. Ayame scooted around behind Dr. Gensai and scooped up a rather disgruntled rooster. 

"Who's this, Grandpa?" the toddler held the wildly-flapping Sanosuke as high up as she possibly could. 

"Isn't it obvious!?" Sano complained and struggled. "It's me! Sanosuke! Now put me DOWN!!" 

"Take it easy, Sano-san!" Megumi laughed. "They're just kids! They just want to have a good time." 

"Easy for you to say, fox!" Sano squawked. "You're not the one being held the wrong way!" 

From their respective hiding places, a demon, a raccoon, and a wolf were rolling all over the ground, laughing heartily. Eventually, they came out into the open. Ayame and Suzume stared and laughed in awe of their friends' new appearances. They 'reintroduced' themselves to the children and brought them as up to date as they possibly could.

In the midst of their discussion, Ayame crawled onto Kenshin's lap, snuggled against him, then looked up at his face. Despite her age, it dawned on her that Ken-ni had had his eyes closed the entire time. 

"Ken-ni?" she pipped. 

"Hai, Ayame-chan?" Kenshin smiled down at her. 

"How come you've got you're eyes closed?" she asked curiously. 

Everyone fell silent. Kaoru looked as though she wanted to say something, but nothing came out. The others looked to one another in hopes that someone would be able to explain this to the child. 

"Because the sun is shining on them, that it is," Kenshin muttered a quick answer. "You do not want me to go blind now, do you not?" 

Both girls looked upwards at the sky. Sure, the sun was out, but it wasn't shining directly in Kenshin's eyes. They questioned him further. 

"It is not something that you would want to see, that it is not." Kenshin explained plainly. 

"Why not?" asked Suzume, her curiosity joining that of her younger sister's. 

Kenshin remained silent. In fact, everyone did. The kids were obviously determined to get to the bottom of why Ken-ni was keeping his eyes closed, and a child's quest for knowlege is very persistant. 

"Very well," Kenshin muttered quietly at last. "If you want to see, then I will show you." 

The demon swordsman opened his Battosai-colored eyes and stared down at the child on his lap. Ayame likewise stared back at him, a mixture of curiosity and puzzlement in her expression. She blinked and leaned closer to get a better look. 

"Did the fox do that to you, Ken-ni?" she asked plainly. 

"_She is not afraid...?_" Kenshin observed. "_She is too little to understand, that she is... They have never seen Battosai... they don't know what this means..._" 

"Hai, that she did." the swordsman laughed. "They are strange to you, are they not?" 

"Hai." both girls smiled. 

Everyone else breathed a sigh of relief. Kenshin always had a way with words, even with children and, thankfully, that had saved them a lot of complicated explanations. 

"Before I forget," Dr. Gensai broke the silence. "Kitsui managed to sneak into the dojo while we were searching elsewhere." 

"And she left a weird message carved in the floor!" Yahiko scratched his ear furiously. "Something about illusions...?" 

They returned to the dojo and inspected Kitsui's mark. After much speculation, the mutual agreement was that it was definitely a clue to breaking the spell. 

"So what do we do now?" Sanosuke clucked. 

"The deepest and most carefully guarded secrets of our souls..." Kenshin replied in a low and serious tone. "they must come out into the open, that they must." 

"Wha...?" uttered Yahiko. 

"Secrets?" Kaoru twitched her nose. 

"Hai." the swordsman breathed. "Things that even the closest of friends do not tell one another." 

"But what if it doesn't work, Ken-san?" Megumi twitched her ears nervously. 

"It is a risk that we must take to return to our proper forms, that it is." he replied. "Even I will do it, that I will." 

"So..." Dr. Gensai looked around worriedly. "Who will be the first to go?" 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sorry this took so long to update! I don't like to rush with chapter writing, but at the same time, I don't want to keep anxious readers waiting. Also, in one of the reviews, someone asked where Ayame and Suzume were, so I thought this chapter would both answer that question and add some cuteness to this already weird story!

Who is going to go first in spilling their secrets, you ask? Even I don't know that one yet! Maybe you readers can help me out on that one! I should let you know ahead of time that I plan to make Kenshin go last. Except for him, you, the readers, can help me decide who tells all first! 

As always, I hope you guys/gals are enjoying this! Please let me know!


	6. The Fox and the Rooster

**Animal Dojo**

**Part 6**

There was perfect silence in the dojo as everyone stared at the floor, all unwilling to volunteer to do what might possibly be the solution to their predicament. Agitated with the group's reluctance, the first volunteer spoke up. 

"If no one else has the gut to speak up." Megumi sweatdropped. "Then I will!" 

A certain rooster looked at her oddly while the demon nodded slightly in acknowledgment. 

"This has to do with you, Sano." Megumi pawed at the floor nervously. "Have you ever noticed how everyone's injuries heal so much quicker than yours?" 

Sano glanced down at his shoulder to check a wound that Megumi had been healing for him for the past week. Unfortunately, his feathery form obscured the view and he resigned himself to glaring suspiciously at the woman doctor. 

"I can't say that I've noticed," Sano ruffled his feathers. "But since you're bringing it up, I think you owe me an answer!" 

Megumi looked away. If the fur hadn't obscured it, a deep blush would've been visible to all. She hated having to bring this little secret out into the open, but if it would cure the curse and return her to normal, she was willing to chance it. 

"We're waiting!" Sano grumbled. 

"I tend to your wounds differently, Chicken-head." she spat. "I don't tie the bandages as tight and I don't apply as much of the healing salve…" 

"YOU WANT ME TO SUFFER LONGER???" Sanosuke squawked, exasperated. 

"Will you let me explain!?" the foxy doctor barked. 

"What's next? You're just gonna let me die?" Sano fumed. 

"Sano! Please!" Kaoru said, quieting them both down. "I'm sure Megumi has a reason for doing it." 

"Probably does want to kill me so that I don't remind her of about her little 'illegal talent.'" the rooster muttered. 

"I just wanted you to come into the clinic more often." said Megumi softly. 

"Eh?" 

"You never come around unless you're hurt." the fox's tone was low and serious. "And I wanted you to come in more often than you were." 

"I don't come around because you always call me Chicken-head!" 

"And I treat you quickly because you always call me a fox!" 

"There's got to be better reason for doing that, Megumi!" Kaoru edged in. 

The doctor fidgeted in her place. 

"As I said, I wish you'd come into the clinic a little more often, Sano." She forced out. 

"Why?" Sano pressed. 

"I like the company and…" 

"And…?" 

"I want YOUR company…" 

"I thought you enjoyed everyone's company." 

"I do, but I like YOURS…" 

"I think what Megumi - san is trying to say, Sano," Kenshin chose to intervene. If this discussion escalated into an all-out argument, Sano and Megumi would be at each other's throats for straight answers, and if push came to shove, Megumi would obviously win and not necessarily in a good way. "is that she has feelings for you, that she does." 

"Ah---!" Sanosuke's voice caught in his throat. 

"Kenshin!" Megumi growled. "That was supposed to stay-" 

"-a secret." Kenshin finished for her. "I know, and that's what has to come out if we are to be returned to our true forms, that it must." 

"IS THIS TRUE!?" Sano squawked once he regained his voice. 

"What does it matter to you!?" Megumi barked back. 

"It matters PLENTY to me!" 

"Why?" 

"Because how am I supposed to know that you like ME when your hanging all over Kenshin all the time?" 

"I'm just teasing Kaoru!" 

"Funny! It looks more like flirting to me!" 

"If I don't hang all over Kenshin, Kaoru will never show that she's jeal-oops!" 

Megumi covered her mouth as best as she could, but it was already too late. The sound of paws scampering to and from the back of the dojo made the fox fear turning around to face the fiery assistant master of the Kamiya Kasshin style. Wearily, she peeked over her shoulder and came face to face with a very ticked off tanuki carrying a shinai in its mouth. Megumi gulped nervously. 

"Well, at least THAT secret's out." She sweatdropped. 

"Hey yeah, that's right…" Sano chipped in. "Shouldn't that have reverted us back to normal?" 

"Maybe it's some other kind of secret that you guys need to let out." suggested Yahiko. 

"Oh come on! What could be more embarrassing than 'fessing up to the person ya love?" Sano uttered, quickly covering his face with his wing in disbelief of having said that. 

Megumi leered in Sano's direction, causing him to gulp nervously at her nearness. A chuckle from Yahiko was silenced by a clumsy shinai strike. 

"Oh!" teased Megumi. "So you DO care!" 

"So?" What's it to you?" Sano raised his wings defensively. 

"I care too, that's what!"

"Y-You do?" 

"Are there any brains in that rooster-head of yours? I just said that I care about you!" 

"Care about each other?" Yahiko giggled. "Try madly in love with each other!" 

"Um… what he said!" Sano and Megumi said at once, glaring one another down. 

*POOF!* 

When a sudden burst of smoke dissipated, Sanosuke and Megumi were still poised and staring each other down, only now, they were back to normal!

"It worked!" cheered Yahiko. 

"Alright!" Kaoru joined in. 

"Congratulations you two." Kenshin smiled. "You're back to normal again!" 

Sanosuke and Megumi stared at each other silently for a moment, perfectly still as a rosy blush rose to each of their cheeks. They promptly pulled back, looking away from each other as though they were not on speaking terms. Cautiously, Sano peeked one eye open. 

"So…" he spoke gruffly. "When's the next time I need my bandages changed?" 

"Later on tonight sounds about right." Megumi replied in like tone. "With the way you go around picking fights while you're still banged up, I'm sure your shoulder wound will have re-opened by then." 

"Hmph!" 

At this, the others could not help but laugh. Eventually, Sano and Megumi joined in as well, their blushes never entirely leaving their faces. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I know I've put off updating fics before, but this time takes the cake! WHOA! (Ducks miscellaneous incoming projectiles from angry readers) Ok! Ok! I'm sorry! I won't let it happen again! Just PLEASE DON'T KILL ME!

I know the chapter's short, but hey, I tried. My Kenshin inspiration practically dried up my freshman year of college (I'm in my senior year now) so I kind of had to force this chapter out. I want to thank everyone who has reviewed thus far and been poking me in the arse to finish this. I really needed those swift boots in the pants of yours!

Though I'm not entirely sure, the next chapter should be the last one. I'll try to finish it up before the death threats start showing up again. Once again, thanks to everyone for urging me to finish this. One more thing--I apologize for any OOCness occuring in this fic.

Like it? Hate it? Tell me!


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